Man wants 911 call to save dying mom preserved

A Navy medic whose mother died after after he called 911 in south suburban Harvey, is asking a judge to order the 911 recordings saved for a possible wrongful death lawsuit.

The emergency bill of discovery was filed this afternoon on behalf of Albert Abney, whose mother Ora died in April 2009.

In the petition filed in Cook County Circuit Court, Abney's attorneys claim that he dialed 911 in the early morning of April 12, 2009 after his mother began experiencing shortness of breath inside her Harvey home.

Because his mother was morbidly obese, Abney -- a Navy medic and registered emergency medical technician -- requested two paramedic crews to help the woman down the stairs of her home into the ambulance.

Despite this, only one paramedic team from Bud's Ambulance arrived and "wasted valuable time" getting Ora Abney's detailed medical history instead of administering oxygen to the distressed woman, the petition claims.

Abney also claims that the dispatcher refused his repeated pleas for an additional unit and that his mother went into full cardiac arrest while paramedics tried fixing a malfunctioning pulse oximeter machine.

Paramedics at the scene requested a second team for assistance only after "realizing the severity of the situation," the petitions states. Ora Abney was taken to Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, where she was pronounced dead, the petition states.

The petition seeks the preservation of the 911 tapes, as well as allowing the issuance of subpoenas to the city for any recordings made by Abney and the paramedics. The recordings will aid Abney's attorneys, who are currently reviewing possible civil liability against Bud's and its paramedics.

If granted, the city would be barred from altering, deleting or destroying the recordings.